Derrick Brooks Charities Create Opportunities For Tampa Students

On October 6th, the school board of Hillsborough County will sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Derrick Brooks Charities in which it will locate services at the Sanchez Resource Services Center and the Lee Davis Neighborhood Service Center in the Belmont Heights area of East Tampa.

"The mission of Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., is to provide educational opportunities for socio-economically challenged youth that will instill, inspire, broaden, and develop cultural and social vision outside of the walls in which they live to ensure that these young people have every chance to develop into the strong and productive leaders of tomorrow," according to the official Derrick Brooks Charities website.

According to Article 5.15 of the School Board of Hillsborough County Agenda Summary, the programs to be implemented will include Teen Pregnancy Prevention Activities, Teen Summits, and the Rites of Passage Program, which is designed to improve students self-esteem, self-confidence, interpersonal communication skills, and behavior management
skills.

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Activity is designed to reduce the incidence of teenage
pregnancy, to increase the understanding and acceptance of individual responsibility, and to
address the associated issues of drug abuse, poverty, crime, and additional awareness
issues.

Linda Cobbe, who works with the District Public Affairs office of Hillsborough County said the the Derrick Brooks programs are "fabulous". "We have worked with them [Derrick Brooks Charities] for many years trying to identify the students who would benefit from their programs. Putting them under our roof would enhance not only their programs but also our school systems," Cobbe said.

The Derrick Brooks Charities hold such events as the Miss Tampa Bay Youth Pageant which is a program extension of their Rites of Passage program. Young girls get to learn discipline by following rules and guidelines, work together as a team, display individual talents, and win prizes and awards.

The program has been receiving a lot of support from parents of the school district because "it does a great job in offering students opportunities that they would not normally have. Derrick Brooks sponsors trips to other countries and has even opened a charter school," said Cobbe.

All events and programs provided by the Derrick Brooks Charities are entirely paid for by them and are of no cost to the children, families, or school officials of Hillsborough County.

For more information in the Derrick Brooks Charities, such as the programs they offer and some of their upcoming events, visit their website here.

Student Productions

It is hard to go a day on campus without hearing something about one of the upcoming events being put on by Student Productions. Everything from Friday night movies to comedians and concerts in Plant Park are organized by UT's very own Student Productions.
When asked about some of the exciting events coming up, Vice President of SP, Meg Cronan, replied with such enthusiasm,"HOMECOMING!" This year's Homecoming events are based off the slogan "The Show Must Go On" and will feature a circus theme. The fun begins October 20th with the Kickoff Party in Vaughn at 8 p.m. and continues with Casino Night and the Night games. The fun comes to an end with the women's volleyball team home match against rival Lynn.
Homecoming isn't the only thing Student Productions is in charge of. They also run Family Weekend. "This year, we are going to have massage therapists on campus and we are showing the movie Up!" Cronan said. This all takes place the weekend of October 9th.
Cronan speaks so highly of Student Production and encourages more students to come out and get involved. "SP has something for everyone. We are always looking for new members and want students to come out, after all, it is their tuition money that goes towards all these events and we want them to have as much input as possible."
Jillian Medugno, a member of the Marketing and Recreation committees of SP "loves being able to have a say in what goes on on campus. It's a lot of work to plan all these events but it is definitely worth it in the end."
Last year, the Gym Class Heroes came and performed in a concert at Plant Park that was free for all students to attend. It was fun for everyone who went, but there was a lot of work behind the scenes that went into the planning of that successful event, all of which was done by Student Productions. "When we plan the Spring Concert, we have to take into consideration the groups that are on tour at that time, how much it would cost, but most importantly, we want it to be a band that appeals to the most number of students," Cronan said.
On October 14th, comedian Kyle Cease will be on campus. "He is the guy from '10 Things I Hate About You' who threw the house party," Medugno said. Be sure to make it out to that for some good laughs.
So if you are not in the mood to go off campus to have fun, there is sure to be some SP event going on that is free for al students and sure to be a good time!
For a calendar of upcoming events and information on joining Student Productions and the individual committees, check out their website at www.utstudentproductions.com.

Spartan Spirit Lacks Without a Football Team

          The Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes were all victims of the athleticism, skill, and intensity of the University of Tampa football team; over 35 years ago that is. Up until the 1974 season, the University of Tampa had one of the best football teams in the area. However, despite the success of the team on the field, it was sucking the bank dry and bringing the school into debt, therefore it had to be cut from the institution.
          For the last 35 years, UT students have been forced to find alternative football fixes to satisfy their competitive sides. When asked about the lack of football here at UT, junior Alisha Veta replied, "It's not that bad. I mean, I wish that there was a team here because I really do think it would bring more school spirit, but it's only a quick drive to go to USF games. Even just tailgating there is a good time." She is one of many students who have become supporters of the local USF Bulls football program.
          Then there are students who don't get the same joy out of cheering on the Bulls. Sophomore Jillian Medugno says, "I think USF games are fun, but you just don’t get the same pleasure of knowing that you are cheering on YOUR school. I think if UT had a football team, it would bring the school together more and we would have so much more school spirit." That is another factor that comes into play. It seems that going out to support your team creates a bond that no other sport can. Tailgating in the parking lot hours before the game, and celebrating for hours after a win is part of the college experience. "Football is a national college sport, everyone loves to watch football. Soccer and basketball are fun, but there aren’t nearly as many supporters. It’s just not the same," Medugno said.
     The University of Tampa has had many chances to bring back the football program, and yet we are still without a team. Former player, Rick Thomas said,""Dropping football was one of the worst business decisions UT ever made. We have a great base of support for football that won't die and won't go away. When we had football, the team belonged to the community. It can work"
     Maybe one day, we will all be able to pack into Raymond James Stadium, formerly the Tampa Stadium to cheer on our Spartan football team. But for now, we are all left to support the Bulls, and our favorite NFL teams.
         

         

Rachel "Beach Bum" Yonkunas

Rachel Yonkunas is a sophomore here at the University of Tampa. She decided to come to UT because of their outstanding communications program. “I want to be a talk show host,” said Rachel. She has always been into writing and knew she wanted to do something that would get her on television, so she figured that a degree in communications would prepare her for her career in front of the camera. Rachel is originally from Connecticut. One might ask what made her make the trip all the way down to UT, all Rachel had to say to that was “I love Florida.” She was also looking at the University of Florida and Roger Williams in Rhode Island, but cancelled that out right away because it was not in the warm, sunny, beach weather that she so badly desired.
Over the summer, Rachel kept herself busy waitressing at Shady Glen serving up burgers and other all-American food to her hungry customers. She also made a trip to Nantucket to visit her sister who was working there for the summer. There she had a relaxing vacation and spent most of her time riding bikes around the island checking out some of the amazing houses there and lounging at the beach. Now, Rachel is living in Brevard here on campus and enjoys spending her time, between classes and after homework of course, hanging out at the pool or the beach with her friends.